Envelop



UNITED STATES PATENToEFioE.

BENJAMIN MORISON, .OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.l

ENVELOP.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,767, dated June 19, 1860.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN MoRIsoN, of the city of Philadelphia, inthe State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Envelop forLetters, Documents, &c., Requiring to be Mailed; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full and exact descri tion of the same,reference being had to tlie annexed drawings, making a part of thisspecification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in providing an envelop, for aletter or document which requires to be mailed, with an opening oropenings in the same, substantially as hereinafter described; wherebythe usual post-mark, or marks, are permitted to be imprinted or stampeddirectly and exclusively upon the letter inclosed therein, with the samefacility and accuracy as the same have heretofore been imprinted orstamped upon the envelop alone.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct the envelops, for`folding, in the usual manner; but, beforethey are folded, I take a series of them and, by means of any suitablehollow punch or cutter, make a clear opening, A, through the face ofeach of the same, near the corner where the usual post-mark is generallyimprinted; as indicated in Figs. l and 2. This opening in the face ofeach envelop should be considerably larger, in its diameter, than theusual postoflice stamp; and, should -it be desired, another opening B,(see Fig. 2) may be made through each of the said envelops, which'opening, though small-er than the other (A), should ralso beconsiderably larger than the face of the stamp which is generally usedfor marking the day of receiving, rlhe envelops, so perforated, may havethe underside of the boundary edge of each of the openings (A, B)gummed, as indicated by the dotted line seen around the opening (A) in Fig. l.

The automatic machines now in use for cutting out, folding, and gummingenvelops, may be adapted to perform also the hereindescribed operationsof punching and gumming.

In the operation or use of this improved envelop, the letter or documentto be mailed,

is inserted and inclosed therein in the usual well known manner, and,consequently, enough of the surface of the said inclosed letter ordocument will be exposed, to receive the usual post-mark, or marks (A,B), thereon, through the respective openings `(A, B), as seen in thefigures, which mark, or marks, will be imprinted or stamped thereon bythe proper officer, by means of the common printing stamps now in use inthe various post offices; the one (A) at the oflice in which it ismailed, and the other (B) at the office to which it is sent; thussecuring upon the lletter itself, directly and exclusively, legalevidence of the day or date upon which the said letter or document wasmailed, and also of the day or date of receiving at the office to whichit was mailed; facts which are often of great importance to beascertained, and which are not at all attainable by the common practiceof postmarking the envelop only.

If it be desired to close the, openings (A, B) upon the letter ordocument inclosed, as seen in Fig. 2, it isonly necessary to wet, withones finger, the gum around the opening, and then press the same uponthe letter.

I am aware that several papers, in a series or package, have beenstamped with letters, figures, &c., between dies under lever pressure,at one operation; and also that a marker, consisting of a series ofsharp spears, arranged together so as to produce the forms of lettersand figures, has been invented for the purpose of post-marking bydriving the said spears together through the envelop and letter at oneoperation; therefore I do not claim, broadly, the post-marking of aletter inclosed in an envelop; but

Having thus fully described my improved envelop, and pointed out itssuperior utility, what I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent is,-

An envelop provided with an opening, or openings, through which theusual postmark, or marks, may be imprinted or stamped as heretofore,directly and exclusively upon the letter' or document inclosed therein;substantially as herein set forth and described.

BENJ. MORISON. Witnesses GEORGE PEEIFEER, JNO. B. KENNEY.

